| Source: | National Renewable Energy Laboratory |
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| Date: | 1/1/95 Record No.: 10102 |
| Contact: | Terry Penny, 303-275-7454; GM Program Leader: Larry Oswald, 810-986-0469; Ford Program Leader: Gary Stokes, 313-594-1831 |
Hybrid Vehicle Propulsion System Program
NREL manages this as a $300 million 5-year DOE program, cost shared 50-50 with industry. Its goal is to double fuel economy, and to enable a business decision in five years about high-volume production of new designs and concepts developed in the program.
The Hybrid vehicle uses more than one mode of motive force; e.g., storage, heat engine, and electric motors. The parameter space of possible configurations is greater by at least an order of magnitude, compared with traditional IC, or straight battery powered electric vehicles. Initially, all possible fuels, technologies and combinations thereof are being considered, including external combustion engines, fuel cells, batteries of all kinds, supercapacitors, flywheels, etc.
The program has been organized into two large teams of companies, one centered on GM and the other with Ford. Many dozens of suppliers are involved, although this number is expected to pare down as progress is made focusing on fewer technology choices. By the end of the five-year program, GM and Ford will know a great deal about what's real in each technology, and this information will be protected for 5 years under the provisions of the CRADAs.
| Topics: | STORAGE |
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